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Soft shells and strange star clusters
The beautiful, petal-like shells of galaxy PGC 6240 are captured in intricate detail by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, set against a sky full of distant background galaxies. This cosmic bloom is of great interest to astronomers due to both its uneven structure, and the unusual clusters of stars that orbit around it - two strong indications of a galactic merger in the recent past.
October 10, 2013 Read more
Lonely planets in space
Two newly detected celestial objects without host star help astronomers in their understanding of star formation.
October 10, 2013 Read more
Researcher's closer look at Mars reveals new type of impact crater
Lessons from underground nuclear tests and explosive volcanoes may hold the answer to how a category of unusual impact craters formed on Mars.
October 9, 2013 Read more
Diamond 'super-earth' may not be quite as precious
An alien world reported to be the first known planet to consist largely of diamond appears less likely to be of such precious nature, according to a new analysis.
October 9, 2013 Read more
ESA and NASA stumped by cosmic mystery
A mystery that has stumped scientists for decades might be one step closer to solution after ESA tracking stations carefully record signals from NASA's Juno spacecraft as it swings by Earth today.
October 9, 2013 Read more
ESA's test rover begins exploring Atacama Desert
ESA's test rover has been fitted with scientific instruments and made its first tracks in the sands of Chile's Atacama Desert. Meanwhile, team members have explored the area to select a suitable site for testing, flying a drone to produce an aerial map.
October 9, 2013 Read more
A close look at the Toby Jug Nebula
ESO's Very Large Telescope has captured a remarkably detailed image of the Toby Jug Nebula, a cloud of gas and dust surrounding a red giant star. This view shows the characteristic arcing structure of the nebula, which, true to its name, does indeed look a little like a jug with a handle.
October 9, 2013 Read more
Juno spacecraft slingshots past Earth on its way to Jupiter
NASA's Juno spacecraft will be passing within some 350 miles of Earth's surface Oct. 9 before it slingshots off into space on an historic exploration of Jupiter.
October 8, 2013 Read more
First ever evidence of a comet striking Earth
The first ever evidence of a comet entering Earth's atmosphere and exploding, raining down a shock wave of fire which obliterated every life form in its path, has been discovered by a team of South African scientists and international collaborators.
October 8, 2013 Read more
Making Martian clouds on Earth
Cloud-chamber experiments show that clouds on Mars form in much more humid conditions than clouds on Earth.
October 8, 2013 Read more
A galaxy refuels
Astronomers observe distant galaxy powered by primordial cosmic fuel.
October 7, 2013 Read more
Terahertz sensor aiming for Jupiter's moons
A high performance terahertz receiver aiming for space missions such as ESA's 'Jupiter icy moons explorer' has been developed in a joint European effort, led by Chalmers University of Technology.
October 7, 2013 Read more
Looking at planets in other solar systems
An EU-funded project is developing direct methods for actually acquiring an image of planets. We could soon be one step closer to answering the age-old question of whether life exists on any other planet beyond Earth.
October 4, 2013 Read more
Desert trial for ESA Mars rover
Next week will see ESA's most ambitious planetary rover test yet. Robotic exploration of a Mars-like desert in South America will be overseen from the UK, providing experience for future missions to the Red Planet.
October 4, 2013 Read more
ALMA discovers large 'hot' cocoon around a small baby star
An international research team, led by researcher at the University of Electro-Communication observed an infrared dark cloud G34.43+00.24 MM3 with ALMA and discovered a baby star surrounded by a large hot cloud. This hot cloud is about ten times larger than those found around typical solar-mass baby stars.
October 4, 2013 Read more
Researchers find that bright nearby double star Fomalhaut is actually a triple
The nearby star system Fomalhaut - of special interest for its unusual exoplanet and dusty debris disk - has been discovered to be not just a double star, as astronomers had thought, but one of the widest triple stars known.
October 4, 2013 Read more
Researchers propose new theory to explain seeds of life in asteroids
A new look at the early solar system introduces an alternative to a long-taught, but largely discredited, theory that seeks to explain how biomolecules were once able to form inside of asteroids.
October 1, 2013 Read more
Student-built satellite launched into Earth orbit
A small satellite designed and built by a team of University of Colorado Boulder students to better understand how atmospheric drag can affect satellite orbits was successfully launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California Sunday morning.
October 1, 2013 Read more